Carlos Alcaraz given warning ahead of Italian Open final after what he did in semi-final against Lorenzo Musetti

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Carlos Alcaraz was looking to advance to his second Masters 1000 final of the year in Rome.

The Spanish star has already tasted victory on the clay in 2025, as Alcaraz beat Lorenzo Musetti to win the Monte-Carlo Masters in April.

One month on, it was Musetti who stood between Alcaraz and a place in the Italian Open final.

In a match devoid of any consistent quality, it was Alcaraz who looked to have the edge during the early stages, racing into a one-set lead.

His concentration then dipped, allowing Musetti back into the match, as both players continued to make unforced errors in the second set.

Securing the win in a second-set tiebreaker, Alcaraz won 6-3, 7-6 [7-4] to advance to his maiden final in Rome.

After the match, Alcaraz was warned by an ex-WTA star about what would happen if he loses concentration again in the final.

Laura Robson warns Carlos Alcaraz that it’s ‘not going to be enough’ if he loses concentration in the final

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, former British tennis star Laura Robson shared her thoughts on Alcaraz’s lapses in concentration.

“The great thing is that he’s got options, he can lock in clearly, he made it count when it mattered most in the second, and didn’t let the concentration slip because he knew he didn’t want to go to a third,” she said.

“It can all come together for him, it’s just almost harder for him when he’s got that easy lead, then he loses focus, because he wants to put on a show and entertain the crowd, which is not a bad thing by any means.”

She did, however, warn Alcaraz of what would happen if his concentration dipped in the final.

“Against the very best, you imagine against [Jannik] Sinner on Sunday, it’s not going to be enough.”

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Sinner will advance to the final, as Tommy Paul awaits the Italian in the second semi-final.

Sinner and Paul could well be feeling confident should they take on Alcaraz in the final, if they watched his error-strewn performance against Musetti.

Yes, the Spaniard showed his world-class shot-making at times, but his unforced error count will certainly have sent alarm bells off in the Alcaraz camp.

Carlos Alcaraz stats from his semi-final win over Lorenzo Musetti

• Winners – 20
• Unforced errors – 39
• Forehand unforced errors – 25
• Backhand unforced errors – 9
• Aces – 1
• Double faults – 5

If he were to meet Sinner in the final, he’d certainly have to shore up his forehand if he wants any chance of lifting the trophy.

Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record against Jannik Sinner and Tommy Paul

The world number one hasn’t lost a professional match since last October, when Alcaraz beat Sinner in the Beijing final.

Since then, fans have watched the Italian dominate his ATP Tour rivals, leading many to suggest it is only Alcaraz who can stop him.

Across ten career meetings, Alcaraz leads the head-to-head with Sinner, 6-4, and has the momentum firmly on his side, winning their previous three encounters.

The most relevant of which was their clash at the French Open 12 months ago, when Alcaraz battled past Sinner in five sets on the clay.

Alcaraz also has the head-to-head lead against his other potential opponent in the final, Paul.

The American won two of their first three meetings before Alcaraz took control of their rivalry, rattling off three straight wins.

Alcaraz and Paul have played just once before on the clay, at the 2024 Olympic Games, where the 22-year-old advanced to the semi-finals in straight sets.

Only time will tell who Alcaraz will take on in the final, as he prepares for one last match on Stadio Centrale.

Paul and Sinner will play their semi-final match on Friday, May 16, the winner of which will take on Alcaraz two days later on Sunday, May 18.